A turn-on fluorescent immunosensor for neurodegenerative disease related neurofilament light chain protein.

Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) pose significant challenges to both longevity and quality of life, affecting millions worldwide and ranking as a major cause of global morbidity and disability. There is an urgent need for less invasive, cost-effective diagnostic methods that can reliably detect ND-related biomarkers in readily available biofluids such as serum. In response to this need, we have developed an ultra-sensitive assay that utilizes magnetic nanoparticles and a novel, tailor-made turn-on fluorescent probe named F-SPG.

Ion bridging enables high-voltage polyether electrolytes for quasi-solid-state batteries.

Polyether electrolytes have been widely recognized for their favorable compatibility with lithium-metal, yet they are hampered by intrinsically low oxidation thresholds, limiting their potential for realizing high-energy Li-metal batteries. Here, we report a general approach involving the bridge joints between non-lithium metal ions and ethereal oxygen, which significantly enhances the oxidation stability of various polyether electrolyte systems. To demonstrate the feasibility of the ion-bridging strategy, a Zn ion-bridged polyether electrolyte (Zn-IBPE) with an extending electrochemical stability window of over 5 V is prepared, which enables good cyclability in 4.

Compound Probiotics Improve Neuropathic Pain Prognosis in a Murine Model of Chronic Constriction Injury.

Purpose: Compound probiotics have been reported to ameliorate imbalances in the intestinal flora that may play a critical role in neuropathic pain. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of compound probiotic treatment on neuropathic pain.

Methods: Thirty mice were randomly divided into three groups: 1) sham group, 2) mouse with chronic constrictive injury (CCI), and 3) probiotic gavage with CCI (CCI+Prob).

Amyloid Proteins Adhesive for Slippery Liquid-Infused Porous Surfaces.

Biomimetic slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces (SLIPS) have emerged as a promising solution to solve the limitations of superhydrophobic surfaces, such as inadequate durability in corrosion protection and a propensity for frosting. However, the challenge of ensuring strong, lasting adhesion on diverse materials to enhance the durability of the lubricant layer remains. The research addresses this by leveraging amyloid phase-transitioned lysozyme (PTL) as an adhesive interlayer, conferring stable attachment of SLIPS across a variety of substrates, including metals, inorganics, and polymers.

Metabolomics analysis based on UHPLC-QTOF-MS/MS to explore the synthesis mechanism and culture conditions optimization of Penicillium EF-2 exopolysaccharide.

Penicillium exopolysaccharide (EPS) inhibits galactose lectins and enhances immunity. However, EPS production is low and its synthesis mechanism remains unclear. Penicillium EF-2 strains with high EPS production were selected for this study, and Penicillium fermentation conditions were subsequently improved.

Bioinspired Three-Component System to Prepare Full-Color Functional Biomimetic Pigments.

Nature provides a great source of inspiration for the development of sustainable materials with excellent properties, among which melanin with optical, electronic, and radiation protection properties are considered to be promising coloring materials. However, compared to chemical pigments, the single color, complex oxidation process, and poor solubility of natural melanin strongly limit their further applications. Here, we introduce a series of melanin-like polymeric pigments with amino acid-encoded physicochemical properties by a simple three-component reaction system.

A comparative study on the gel and structural characteristics of starch from three rice varieties when combined with Mesona chinensis polysaccharides.

Mesona chinensis polysaccharide (MCP) has excellent gel-forming characteristic, previous studies showed that MCP could affect the gelling and structural properties of rice starch, but the effect of MCP on rice starch from different types is not clarified. In this study, the effects of MCP on the pasting, rheological, and structural characteristics of glutinous rice starch (GRS), japonica rice starch (JRS), and indica rice starch (IRS) were investigated. The results showed that GRS-MCP has the best viscosity, its peak and final viscosities are higher than JRS-MCP and IRS-MCP.

Structural changes of rice starch-anthocyanins complexes (V-type) and its impact on gut microbiotas and potential metabolic pathways during in vitro fermentation.

This study explored the differences in the in vitro fermentation properties of rice starch (RS) and rice starch-anthocyanins complexes (RS-A). Structural characterization suggested that RS and RS-A complexes showed a V-type crystalline structure. The degree of order (DO) and degree of double helix (DD) values of RS and RS-A complexes were enhanced after fermentation.

Impact of Brewers' Spent Grain-Containing Biscuit on Postprandial Glycaemic Response in Individuals with Metabolic Syndrome: A Crossover Randomised Controlled Trial.

Brewers' spent grain (BSG) is a fibre and protein-rich by-product of beer-brewing. Fermenting BSG with can further increase its content of soluble fibre, protein and certain antioxidants. Since nutrients rich in BSG can improve postprandial glycaemic response, this study assessed the postprandial glucose response (PPGR) and postprandial insulin response (PPIR) controlling effect of consuming 30% wheat flour substituted biscuits with autoclaved BSG (ABSG) or fermented BSG (FBSG) in individuals with metabolic syndrome (MetS).

Cultivation of microalgae-bacteria consortium by waste gas-waste water to achieve CO fixation, wastewater purification and bioproducts production.

The cultivation of microalgae and microalgae-bacteria consortia provide a potential efficient strategy to fix CO from waste gas, treat wastewater and produce value-added products subsequently. This paper reviews recent developments in CO fixation and wastewater treatment by single microalgae, mixed microalgae and microalgae-bacteria consortia, as well as compares and summarizes the differences in utilizing different microorganisms from different aspects. Compared to monoculture of microalgae, a mixed microalgae and microalgae-bacteria consortium may mitigate environmental risk, obtain high biomass, and improve the efficiency of nutrient removal.

Effects of three different polysaccharides on the sol gel-behavior, rheological, and structural properties of tapioca starch.

The sol-gel behavior of tapioca starch (TS) plays a crucial role in the processing and quality control of flour-based products. However, natural tapioca starch has low gel strength and poor viscosity, which tremendously limits its application. To solve this problem, this study investigated the effects of κ-carrageenan (KC), konjac gum (KGM), and Mesona chinensis Benth polysaccharide (MCP) on the pasting behavior, rheological, and structural properties of tapioca starch.

Survival Analysis of Lung Cancer patients in Brunei Darussalam.

Background: Cancer has been the most common cause of deaths in Brunei Darussalam including lung cancer as one of the top killers. This study presents the survival analysis of primary lung cancer patients in Brunei Darussalam.

Methods: This is a retrospective cohort study of a 15-year period (2002-2016) involving 797 primary lung cancer cases.

Rethreading Design of Ratiometric roGFP2 Mimetic Peptide for Hydrogen Peroxide Sensing.

Reconstruction of the miniaturized peptide to mimic the tailored functions of protein has been attractive but challenging. Herein, initialized from the crystal structure of redox-sensitive green fluorescent protein-2 (roGFP2), we propose a practical approach to construct the roGFP2 mimetic peptide by rethreading the aromatic residues adjacent to the chromophore fragment. By fine-tuning the residues of peptides, a mini tetrapeptide (Cys-Phe-Phe-His) was designed, which can act as a hydrogen peroxide sensor using its ratiometric fluorescence.

A preoperative predictive model for stage IV endometriosis.

This was a retrospective study that evaluated a total of 280 patients who underwent surgery for complete removal of endometriosis to develop and validate the predictive model for stage IV endometriosis. The differences between stage I-III and stage IV endometriosis were performed by logistic regression. A model for the prediction of stage IV endometriosis was constructed, which was subsequently validated.

Quantitative Ratiometric Biosensors Based on Fluorescent Ferrocene-Modified Histidine Dipeptide Nanoassemblies.

Fluorescent proteins (FPs) provide a ratiometric readout for quantitative assessment of the destination of internalized biomolecules. FP-inspired peptide nanostructures that can compete with FPs in their capacity are the most preferred building blocks for the synthesis of fluorescent soft matter. However, realizing a ratiometric emission from a single peptide fluorophore remains exclusive since multicolor emission is a rare property in peptide nanostructures.

Sediment and residual feed from aquaculture water bodies threaten aquatic environmental ecosystem: Interactions among algae, heavy metals, and nutrients.

The effect of sediment and residual fish feed on aquaculture water bodies has gained increasing attention to alleviate the eutrophication and heavy metals enrichment induced by aquaculture. Thus, this study intended to reveal the possible interactions among nutrients, heavy metals, and Chlorella vulgaris (C. vulgaris) in aquaculture water bodies containing fish feed and sediment.

A versatile platform for colorimetric, fluorescence and photothermal multi-mode glyphosate sensing by carbon dots anchoring ferrocene metal-organic framework nanosheet.

Concerns regarding pesticide residues have driven attempts to exploit accurate, prompt and straightforward approaches for food safety pre-warning. Herein, a nanozyme-mediated versatile platform with multiplex signal response (colorimetric, fluorescence and temperature) was proposed for visual, sensitive and portable detection of glyphosate (GLP). The platform was constructed based on a N-CDs/FMOF-Zr nanosensor that prepared by in situ anchoring nitrogen-doped carbon dots onto zirconium-based ferrocene metal-organic framework nanosheets.

Color-Tunable Fluorescent Hierarchical Nanoassemblies with Concentration-Encoded Emission.

Cephalopods possess a dynamic coloration behavior to change their iridescence due to the concentration-induced optical properties of chromatophores and hierarchical assembly of reflectin. However, cephalopods rarely have iridescence in the darkfield. It would be interesting to develop color-tunable fluorescent hierarchical nanoassemblies with concentration-encoded emission.

Modulation-free portable laser frequency and power stabilization system.

The performance of laser-based instruments heavily depends on the stability of their laser source. Some instruments, such as the Cs-He magnetometer, even require the frequency stabilization and the power stabilization at the same time. In this work, we design a double-locking system with a fiber-coupled output on a small bread board and apply it to the pump laser of a Cs-He magnetometer.

SU(2)-in-SU(1,1) Nested Interferometer for High Sensitivity, Loss-Tolerant Quantum Metrology.

We present experimental and theoretical results on a new interferometer topology that nests a SU(2) interferometer, e.g., a Mach-Zehnder or Michelson interferometer, inside a SU(1,1) interferometer, i.

Group VIII Metal Carbonyl Cluster-Boronic Acid Conjugates: Cytotoxicity and Mode of Action Studies.

A set of metal carbonyl cluster-boronic acid conjugates of the group VIII metals (Fe, Ru, and Os) were synthesized and their antiproliferative effects measured against two breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7 and MDA-MB-231) and a noncancerous breast epithelial (MCF-10A) cell line. The cytotoxicity followed the order Ru > Os > Fe for the MDA-MB-231 cells, although the latter two exhibited similar cytotoxicity against MCF-7 and MCF-10A cells. The osmium species {Os(CO)(μ-H)[μ-SCH--B(OH)]} () could be chemically oxidized to its hydroxy analogue [Os(CO)(μ-H)(μ-SCH -OH)] (), which showed comparable cytotoxicity.